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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26549860">sweetness &amp; trying</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourhope/pseuds/yourhope'>yourhope</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Little Witch Academia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Akko is me when I watch gbbo and see the pretty girls, Bake Off AU, F/F, absolute chaos, good thing Diana thinks she's cute...right? ;), she is also a giant disaster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:07:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,781</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26549860</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourhope/pseuds/yourhope</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Akko applied to be in the biggest baking competition in the country, it had honestly been a joke. But despite her lack of skill, maybe she could fake her way through if it meant getting to see the pretty blonde girl she was competing against.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>218</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Great British Fake Off</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is both a fic request and a self indulgent au because this just really speaks to my soul. Also the title is definitely a reference to an anime, if anyone was wondering lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Akko applied to be in the biggest baking competition in the country, it had honestly been a joke. It was Constanze’s birthday and Jasminka was out of town, so she had volunteered to make the cake for the party instead. Of course it was a box cake and there wasn’t much effort Akko had to put into it, but it still turned out pretty well considering every time she used an oven, there was a 50/50 chance of something burning.</p><p>But her friends were impressed and by the time the cake was cut, they had all consumed a fair amount of alcohol. And that was the first mistake. </p><p>Everyone was just so glad the cake tasted decent that they joked about how Akko could give Jasminka a run for her money, which obviously was in no way true, but Drunk Akko was far too gullible. And far too smug.</p><p>“My baking <em> is </em> great, right?” she boasted with a smirk. “Bet I could like… get my own bakery if I wanted.”</p><p>Amanda snorted. “Yeah, sure.”</p><p>“I’m serious! How hard could baking stuff be? You just read a recipe, right? It’s… well, it’s a piece of cake,” she said, chuckling at her pun.</p><p>Amanda just rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say. But, hey, that reminds me. Y’know that one baking show that Jas watches all the time? She told me they’re accepting applications for their next competition. You wanna be a baker so bad, I dare you to sign up.” </p><p>She cackled, not believing Akko would be foolish enough to do such a thing. She was wrong.</p><p>And so, a very shocked Akko would find out weeks later that the application she wound up submitting in her drunken state had actually been accepted. And that she was going to be a part of an actual baking competition. On… national… television.</p><p>In between Amanda and Sucy laughing at her ridiculous luck, Jasminka offered to give her as many tips as possible so she wouldn’t make a total fool of herself. So every day until the competition began, Akko, underneath Jasminka’s guidance, worked hard to turn herself into someone who, at best, wouldn’t get thrown off the show within a minute.</p><p>It was no piece of cake, she quickly learned, mainly considering there was so much more to baking than just cakes and most of the things Jasminka had her practice made Akko’s head want to explode. But she very stupidly made her bed and she was going to have to lie in it. So when the first day of the competition arrived, Akko said a small prayer and begged Kami-sama to let everything go well.</p><p>Naturally, it did not.</p><p>The good news is that she made it longer than a minute. The bad news is that it still didn’t take long before she screwed up, got her finger caught in a mixer, and had blood pouring from a cut.</p><p>She yelped and spit out a few swear words that she knew would get censored and clutched her hand to her chest. Akko winced from the pain and the discomfort of feeling everyone’s eyes on her. </p><p>The other contestants offered her sympathetic glances while the camera crew came closer, eager to get shots of her wound. Now, Akko was certainly no stranger to injuries. Jasminka alone could attest to that with the number of mishaps she witnessed while coaching her. But getting hurt while trying to make a dumb cake of all things <em> and </em>on television for everyone to see was a new level of embarrassment Akko had never quite reached before. Her face flushed.</p><p>Just as she was thinking of how much she wanted to disappear, a voice filled her ears.</p><p>“A medic,” someone said, and Akko jumped because the voice was much closer to her than she expected. Sure enough, when she turned to whoever was addressing her, she was met with another girl her age coming toward her. “You need a medic,” she repeated. “They have them in the back, remember?”</p><p>Akko’s eyes locked onto hers and her heartbeat quickened. Maybe it was just because she was going into shock from her wound, even though it couldn’t have been <em> that </em> bad. Or maybe her pulse was drumming in her ears because that was just her body’s natural response when it came face to face with the most beautiful girl Akko had ever seen <em> in her life. </em> Her mind went blank.</p><p>“Um. I… uh… what?” </p><p>Smooth.</p><p>Suddenly her wound wasn’t the most painful thing in this predicament. Akko grimaced. “I-I mean, yes, right. The medics. In the back. I’ll just… go see them.”</p><p>The girl nodded and the loose blonde curls that weren’t tied back into her ponytail bounced around her face. </p><p>Akko admittedly was vaguely familiar with her. She was another contestant, of course. But it seemed Akko spent so much time panicking over herself that she failed to pay the others much attention. And she had never seen her face this up close, otherwise she definitely would have remembered. She could swear she remembered her name, though. It was right on the tip of her tongue… </p><p>“Here,” the girl stepped forward, holding out a clean rag. She reached for Akko’s hand and gingerly took it in hers, wrapping the rag around her cut. “Keep pressure on it until you get it bandaged.”</p><p>Akko’s hand tingled from where their skin touched. Was it just the loss of blood making her knees feel weak? She gulped. “Yeah, of course. Thanks, um…”</p><p>Blue eyes found hers. “Diana,” she reminded Akko with a smile. And what a gorgeous smile it was. “I do hope you’re better at baking than you are at remembering names, Atsuko Kagari,” she lightly teased.</p><p>Akko’s heart did a flip. She had never heard someone say her name so prettily. She also forgot that in all her nervousness, she had introduced herself so formally to everyone when they first met. “Oh, please just call me Akko. And don’t worry. I won’t forget your name again.” Not when it was playing on repeat in her head.</p><p>“Hm. Alright then, Akko,” Diana said, taking a step back. Akko missed the feeling of her hand almost instantly. “You really should go get that wound taken care of. And when you come back, do try to be more careful. You want to survive the rest of the competition, don’t you?”</p><p>“Absolutely,” Akko breathed. And while it was true she didn’t want to get eliminated so early, she felt like her reason for wanting to stick around a while had suddenly changed over the past thirty seconds.</p><p>Geez… she really was hopeless, wasn’t she? </p><p>It was then Akko became painfully aware that the cameras were still rolling. Her friends knew how much of a disaster she could be when beautiful girls were involved, but if this aired on television, they would never let her live it down. Heat rose to her cheeks.</p><p>“O-okay, anyway I should go,” she stammered, her voice an octave higher than usual. She squeezed her hand, applying the pressure Diana spoke of, although she was sure it looked more like a nervous tick. “Uh… see you later?”</p><p>Diana grinned and gave her a parting wave. She headed back to her station (which was right behind Akko’s, oh <em> man</em>, how was she ever going to focus when she came back?) while Akko made her way to the medics.</p><p>As she walked, she looked down at her hand and sighed. Injuring herself wasn’t exactly the greatest first impression. But she had to make sure everything else went well so she wouldn’t be sent home. Because if she got sent home…</p><p>Images of blue eyes and sweet smiles filled Akko’s head. Her lips tugged upward, forming their own smile. </p><p>Maybe she <em>was</em> hopeless and out of her league, and maybe it was only a matter of time before the judges realized she was no excellent baker and kicked her out. But she did tell Diana she wanted to survive the rest of the competition. And if her mind wasn’t made up before, it certainly was now.</p><p>So, what the hell. It couldn’t hurt to try, right? She glanced back down at her hand. Or… maybe it could. But for her own silly and selfish desires, she would do it anyway.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can't say with full confidence that this is just a oneshot because if someone asked me to add more to this, I'm almost positive I would lmao, I just love this concept so much.</p><p>Thanks for reading and if you would like to make a fic request, you can go to my tumblr (link in profile) for the details!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Put On a Show</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much to everyone who left comments on the first chapter! I’m glad you all liked it so much and that I got sent a request to make another chapter. </p>
<p>If you haven’t seen GBBO, there’s some terminology in this you may not be familiar with, but it’s nothing too difficult to grasp so I hope you all enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As it turned out, there was no better motivation to succeed at something than a pretty girl, and within two short days, Akko obtained enough evidence to prove it.</p>
<p>Her first piece of evidence was the fact that she miraculously made it through day one of the competition alive. <em> And </em>she did a pretty okay job, by her standards. For the first challenge, she was able to finish her cake without any further bloodshed. She watched the oven like a hawk to ensure it didn’t burn, and after a plentiful amount of fingercrossing, Akko produced something she could proudly say was not terrible.</p>
<p>She largely had Jasminka to thank for that. It was her recipe for a lemon and orange drizzle cake that she shared (and simplified so that it was entirely Akko-proof). Though Akko’s final product did have some modifications, whether they were intentional or not. Like the lemon zest she was supposed to use for decoration winding up in the bin because she had forgotten what it was for and mistook it for trash. And the icing she drizzled over the cake was far from neat, but with time running out, she had no choice but to make haste.</p>
<p>So maybe she wouldn’t be getting many points for style or tidiness, but when it came to flavor, Akko thankfully wasn’t let down. If this cake could please Jasminka who had the most impressive palate of anyone she knew, it was sure to please a couple of snooty judges. And after what felt like a lifetime of holding her breath, she was proven correct when the two of them actually <em> complimented </em> her on the favor of her cake.</p>
<p>Of course they had their issues with her presentation, but Akko wasn’t even listening. She was just so happy it tasted good, the moment they left her table, her shoulders finally relaxed.</p>
<p>“<em>Yokatta</em>,” she sighed in relief, flopping down onto her stool. And because she couldn’t help herself, because she just had to know, she peeked over her shoulder to see if Diana had been watching. </p>
<p>Of course, she knew all the contestants had to have been watching, but suddenly all the contestants didn’t matter as Akko caught sight of the grin Diana was sending her and found that she couldn’t spare a thought for anything else.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Akko’s second piece of evidence came with the conclusion of the next challenge a few hours later. Of course, she wasn’t as lucky in this challenge as she was in the first. In fact, she was a mess. But that was to be expected when it came to the Technical.</p>
<p>If there was any challenge Akko had been dreading, it was this one. The contestants hadn’t been allowed time to practice, and the matter was only made worse by the extremely vague recipe they were given. Just reading it made Akko feel like she was playing a game of Mad Libs from the amount of blanks she was expected to fill in. And boy, did she fill them in wrong.</p>
<p>She had never made a genoise cake before, so she didn’t know all the rules of it. Jasminka told her she should practice it just in case, but she never got around to it. Now she was desperately wishing she had. </p>
<p>She didn’t whisk her eggs long enough, so her sponge fell flat. She baked it for a bit too long, so it became tough. Her only saving grace was that she wasn’t alone in this because a few other contestants made the same mistake. Diana, however, was not one of them.</p>
<p>The one good thing Akko’s failure brought her was when she turned to Diana and saw that her genoise looked nearly perfect, she blurted out, “Wanna trade?” The laugh she got in response was enough to put her at ease, if only for a moment. Making a pretty girl laugh truly was the best medicine.</p>
<p>In the end, when judging came around, Akko was astounded that she didn’t rank at the very bottom. It turned out her genoise was only about the third most overbaked, and at least she wasn’t the poor old man who used salt instead of sugar, immediately putting him in last place. But while ranking ninth out of twelve wasn’t exactly something to brag about, to Akko it was an unexpected surprise. </p>
<p>Still, it wasn’t a better surprise than when Diana took first place and when everyone clapped for her achievement, it was Akko whose eyes she found first as they cut across the room. Akko didn’t want to read too much into it, but just as she had done that morning, it felt like Diana also wanted to know if she had been watching.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p><br/>The next day was their third and final challenge for the week and Akko was a ball of nerves walking to the tent, wondering if this would be the last time she ever stepped foot inside it. But it would be this moment that supplied Akko with her third and final indisputable piece of evidence that there would never be a greater motivator to succeed than a pretty girl.</p>
<p>She was making her way through the grassy field of Welford Park along with everyone else, feeling her stomach twist and turn. She wanted to display more confidence, after all, Jasminka had helped her make an incredible recipe and if she pulled it off well enough, she was sure she would stay in the competition. But if she didn’t pull it off, she knew she could very likely leave.</p>
<p>The possibility of being eliminated weighed so heavily on Akko’s mind, she didn’t even realize that at some point, Diana had fallen into step beside her. It wasn’t until she saw familiar blonde curls from the corner of her eye that her head snapped in her direction.</p>
<p>Diana was already looking at her as if she had been waiting for Akko to take notice of her presence. Akko felt a blush form. “O-oh, hi Diana.”</p>
<p>“Hello, Akko,” she greeted with a friendly smile, though her eyes were curious. “Is everything alright? You look quite nervous.”</p>
<p>“Is it that obvious?” Akko sheepishly chuckled. “We’re about to begin our final challenge and I feel like I could throw up butterflies.” She was glad that statement brought a giggle out of Diana even if she was still in the midst of a freakout. “What about you? Aren’t you nervous?”</p>
<p>“I suppose a bit,” Diana answered. “But that’s only natural when you’re in a competition. You have to keep a level head, though.”</p>
<p>Akko held back a snort. “Too bad a level head is something I don’t think I possess.”</p>
<p>“Then I can lend you mine if the situation becomes dire,” Diana joked. “But I’m sure you’ll do fine, regardless.”</p>
<p>“You have a lot of faith for someone who doesn’t know the monstrosities I’m capable of creating in the kitchen.”</p>
<p>Diana gave a pensive hum. “Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but I do recall you telling everyone that you work in the entertainment business as a performer.”</p>
<p>“Well… yeah,” Akko said, both flattered Diana would remember those details about her and confused with what that had to do with baking.</p>
<p>“Then don’t be so nervous,” Diana continued. “It <em> is </em> the Showstopper challenge, after all.” And Akko must have drifted off into sleep because what happened next felt like an absolute dream. Diana leaned closer and in a low voice that sent a chill down Akko’s spine, she said, “I’m sure someone like you knows all about putting on a good show, right?”</p>
<p>Akko’s heart skipped a beat. Or a dozen.</p>
<p>Surely she had just imagined that. Surely that was nothing more than a fantasy because these things never just <em> happened </em> to her in real life. But Diana was smiling at her and the look in her eyes only told Akko that what she had heard was true. Suddenly every thought left her head except one.</p>
<p>She was going to put on the greatest show of her life if it killed her.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p><br/>Three tiers of chocolate cake, two additional injuries to her hand, and one trip to hell and back later, Akko was feeling like she had defied all the laws of the universe. She didn’t know how, and frankly she was still debating if this was reality or not, but against all odds, she <em> did </em> it. </p>
<p>She put on a show (the one where she pretended to be a baker who had at least one clue of what she was doing) and created a cake the judges actually <em> liked. </em></p>
<p>For the most part, that is. </p>
<p>Once again, time had gotten away from her, so her craftsmanship was messier than she would have liked. And her cake may have stayed in the oven a few minutes too long, so it wasn’t as moist as it should’ve been. But the <em> flavor. </em> If she made it through this competition, she owed Jasminka her firstborn child because it was thanks to her the judges still found her cake delicious, even with its other shortcomings. If Akko were to do the math, she’d say they liked about 70% of it. And if she learned anything in school, it was that a 70% was a passing grade she could be happy with.</p>
<p>So she held onto the belief that she did a satisfactory job until it came time for the judges to announce their verdict. The contestants all lined up in their chairs and even with the tense atmosphere as they waited to hear who would be kicked off, it brought a smile to Akko’s face when Diana sat next to her. </p>
<p>The situation was made even better when the presenters began by announcing who that week’s star baker was and to the surprise of no one, it was Diana who was awarded the title. She had done well in all three challenges and it was more than deserved. In fact, Akko was so happy for her, the moment her name was said, she bounced in her seat and placed her hand on Diana’s arm, giving it a supportive squeeze.</p>
<p>She froze momentarily, wondering if this was too forward. But Diana didn’t seem to mind at all and as the two shared a smile, Akko wondered if she was just seeing things or if Diana’s cheeks really were redder than usual.</p>
<p>She had to put that thought on hold, though, when it came time to finally break the news of the elimination. And after what had to be a millennia of waiting, Akko nearly leapt with joy when it wasn’t her name that was called.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it was the sweet grandpa who mixed up the salt and the sugar the previous day who would be going home, and while she wished him well, Akko was ecstatic she had pulled through. She remained in a daze as they wrapped everything up for the day. Congratulations, goodbyes, parting words for the camera. She breezed through it all until she was given the okay to leave. Before Akko could go, however, it seemed the day had just one more surprise left in store for her.</p>
<p>She was on her way out of Welford Park with her phone in hand, ready to text her friends the good news, when a familiar figure came into view just across the yard. Akko’s face lit up.</p>
<p>“Diana!” she called out, already having forgotten about her friends. But oh well, they would understand she had priorities.</p>
<p>Diana turned in her direction and upon seeing Akko, a smile grew on her face. She came to a halt, allowing Akko to catch up and when they were side by side, they held matching expressions.</p>
<p>“Akko,” Diana greeted, “You look like you’re in a good mood.”</p>
<p>Akko lifted an eyebrow, picking up her playful tone. “So do you. Oh, but of course you’re in a good mood, Miss Star Baker.” She gave Diana’s arm a light nudge with her elbow. “Twelve contestants and you stood out the most. Congratulations!”</p>
<p>Diana ducked her head shyly, but her smile widened. “Thank you. And I should congratulate you as well. You were so nervous at the start, but you ended up doing quite well. I’m glad.”</p>
<p>It was Akko’s turn to become shy. “Y-yeah, well… I got lucky this time. Next week, I get to come back and panic all over again. Maybe even get a few more battle scars,” she held up her hand to show off her multiple bandages.</p>
<p>Amusement colored Diana’s face as she regarded Akko’s wounds. “I have to say, your knack for getting injured is both impressive and concerning.”</p>
<p>“You’ll soon learn that impressing and concerning is what I do best,” Akko winked. A string of laughter fell from Diana’s lips and Akko couldn’t help but join in as well. It was almost unbelievable to her that she could make such a beautiful girl laugh at her silly jokes.</p>
<p>Once their laughter subsided, Diana let out a small, content sigh, then cleared her throat. “Well, then. I look forward to whatever it is you make happen next week. It’s been a busy day, though, so I should be getting home now to rest.”</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah,” Akko said in understanding, though she was a bit disappointed their conversation was being cut short since she wouldn’t see Diana again for another week. “Have a good trip, then. I heard you’re from Wedinburgh, so that’s pretty far.”</p>
<p>Diana chuckled. “Yes, Wedinburgh is <em> very </em> far and I couldn’t imagine making a dual commute each week. That’s why I’ve chosen to stay at a hotel in Blytonbury for the competition. It’s much closer.”</p>
<p>Akko’s eyes widened. She took a moment to make sure she had heard correctly. There was no way this was happening. There was no way she could be this lucky. </p>
<p>“I stay in Blytonbury, too!” she beamed, practically vibrating from excitement. “I mean, not in a hotel, I actually live there. But wow, what a coincidence!” And a perfect one indeed. After all her prayers, she was never going to doubt Kami-sama again because if god hated gays, <em> why did she keep winning. </em></p>
<p>“Oh,” Diana’s voice sounded pleasantly surprised, “I hadn’t realized. That is… good to know.”</p>
<p>It was also an opportunity Akko could not let go to waste. “We could hang out sometime,” she suggested. “If you’re not too busy, that is.”</p>
<p>Of course, they still had the competition to think of, and Akko was sure most of their time, especially hers, would be spent practicing. But a little break here and there to see Diana would be worth it.</p>
<p>Her invitation was met with a warm smile slowly spreading across Diana’s face. “I would like that,” she replied. Akko felt like she could fly. </p>
<p>“Great,” she chirped before remembering the cellphone in her hand. “Oh wait, we should exchange numbers so we can reach each other.” She hoped she was being casual about asking for it, but truth be told, she had been thinking of a way to get Diana’s number since the first day.</p>
<p>It didn’t seem to be a bother to Diana though because when Akko created a new contact and handed her the phone, she eagerly took it and typed in her number. </p>
<p>When she gave it back, Akko tried to hold back her joy. “Hold on, I’ll just send you a text so you can get my number too.”</p>
<p>She took a second to think about what it was she wanted her text to say. A simple “hi” would have been just fine, but she wanted something more than that. Her fingers flew across the keypad. A grin played at her lips. She pressed send. </p>
<p>The muffled sound of a notification <em> ding </em> filled the air and Diana reached into her pocket to grab her phone. She took one look at her screen and laughed. </p>
<p>“‘<em>Did you enjoy the show?</em>’” Diana read. Akko smirked.</p>
<p>“Well, did you?”</p>
<p>Diana didn’t respond. Instead she began to type. After a moment, there was another <em> ding</em>, this time from Akko’s phone. She read her newest message.</p>
<p>
  <em> Every bit of it. </em>
</p>
<p>This time, there was no holding back any joy that Akko felt. Her heart fluttered with a frequency she didn’t think it had ever achieved before. And even though she had just made it through round one of the country’s most prolific baking competition, it was this moment right here that made Akko feel like she truly accomplished something great.</p>
<p>Maybe getting drunk the night of Constanze’s birthday party and winding up in this situation would turn out to be the best mistake she ever made.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Akko, I wonder how it feels to be god’s favorite right now.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Biscuits & Mishaps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Guess who's back and here to celebrate Diakko Day with a long overdue update! It's been a while but I hope you all enjoy. And a huge thank you to my fave person <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/hedgeesn">hedgeesn</a> for giving me motivation to finish this chapter and all future ones, ily!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I still can’t believe you’re going back. How on earth could they possibly want you <em> back</em>?”</p><p>It was an honest question, and one Akko kept pondering herself time and time again. But Amanda’s tone was far too incredulous for Akko to not take offense, so even if a (large) part of her agreed, she still scowled and said, “Maybe because I’m actually a pretty great baker and they just like me that much?”</p><p>The snort she received in response was as expected as it was annoying. Beside her, Amanda scoffed, “Yeah, right.” She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the sofa they were occupying. “So seriously, who’d you bribe?”</p><p>“I didn’t bribe anyone!” Akko snapped. Which was… half true. She hadn’t bribed anyone <em> successfully</em>. Those stingy cameramen just weren’t going to let all that footage of her making a fool of herself go so easily. She learned that the hard way.</p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Amanda said, entirely unconvinced. “But anyway, shouldn’t you be like, practicing or something? The week is halfway over and I’ve seen you staring at your phone more times than I’ve seen you baking.”</p><p>Unfortunately, Akko couldn’t get too annoyed at Amanda for that comment because it was far more accurate than she would have liked. Even now, her phone was right there in her hand and she knew she couldn’t come up with an excuse to deny it. Figured it was still worth a shot, though.</p><p>“I, uh, haven’t been staring at it too much,” she poorly countered.</p><p>“Akko, you literally haven’t looked at me in like ten minutes. Not even just now as you said those words.”</p><p>Welp, she tried and failed, but it was a good attempt.</p><p>“What are you so fixated on, anyway?” Amanda continued. “Reading more of your gay little fanfiction again?”</p><p>Akko finally tore her gaze away from her phone screen to stare at Amanda in shock. “I… okay, first of all, I didn’t even know you knew I read fanfiction,” she blushed. “But no! I’m not reading anything.”</p><p>“Then what’s up? You’re so distracted, Jasna thinks you’re slacking off. And with everything she’s doing to help your ass, I don’t think you’d wanna upset her by not putting in the effort.”</p><p>Akko faltered, trying to find the right words. It wasn’t like she <em> wanted </em>to be so distracted and she definitely didn’t want Jasminka to think she was taking all her help for granted. But lately, her head had been so wrapped up in the real reason she couldn’t stop staring at her phone, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to tell Amanda said reason was because she got a beautiful girl’s phone number and had spent the past three days trying to figure out how to call her.</p><p>Instead, in the purest display of escapism, she rose up from her couch and pocketed her phone, avoiding Amanda’s eye. “You know what, you’re right. I’ve been slacking and I need to practice so I’ll just… go do that.”</p><p>“Uh-huh,” Amanda said slowly. Akko pretended she didn’t see the suspicious look she was being given.</p><p>She hoped Amanda didn’t keep pressing the issue of why she was on her phone so much. Truth be told, she could use a break from it anyway. Especially now it was hitting her that she did indeed have to go back into the tent in just four days and she’d hardly even looked at her biscuit recipes.</p><p>“Honestly though, how hard can making biscuits be?” she remarked mostly to herself, but Amanda’s voice rang throughout the room in response.</p><p>“Didn’t you say the same thing about cake?”</p><p>And right then, Akko’s face fell flat and figured that rather than biscuits, it would be best to familiarize herself with humble pie instead.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>A few hours later, Akko would conclude that biscuits gave her just as much a headache as every other thing she tried to bake. Several batches she had gone through trying to get the perfect biscuit consistency but hers were either too soft or too burnt to a crisp. </p><p>At some point between her numerous failures, Amanda had left, allowing Akko the privilege of accepting defeat and pathetically flopping onto her couch in private. As she buried her face into the cushion, she felt a sharp pang of frustration hit her. She knew it was kind of her fault for going so long without practicing, but she was running out of time and if she didn’t get these biscuits right, and soon, she was a goner. And, okay yes, one week ago she probably wouldn’t have minded being sent home after week two. Her only goal had been to not be the first one kicked off, which she fulfilled. However her goal was…  just a <em> bit </em>different now. </p><p>She didn’t want to be sent home this week. Or the week after. Really, if she could just stay in the competition as many weeks as possible while she continued getting to know a certain someone, it would be a dream come true. So she couldn’t get the axe in just a few days because that would ruin everything.</p><p>Well, maybe not entirely <em> everything. </em> She reminded herself that Diana was still staying in Blytonbury for the duration of the competition so whether she got kicked off soon or not, they could still see each other, right? But still, there was just something about the two of them competing against each other that Akko found pretty endearing. And maybe if she didn’t spend so much time reading “gay little fanfiction” that almost always included the rivals to lovers tag, she wouldn’t get so much of a kick out of it, but as things currently stood… she really, <em> really </em> got a kick out of it.</p><p>So she wanted to stay in the competition. She wanted to do well enough that even Diana with all her baking expertise was impressed. She wanted the two of them to have more time together in the tent. And even outside of the tent, if given the chance. But of course, Akko had to remember she <em> had </em> been given the chance for that. Three days ago. And she had yet to act upon it.</p><p>Urgh, but it wasn’t her fault she was so nervous! And if Diana wanted, she could’ve contacted her as well, right? Although, Akko already knew Diana was a lot more serious about baking than she was. The past few days for her had surely been full of practicing and perfecting her recipes. She couldn’t exactly fault Diana for being rightfully busy, especially when she had spent her time being the exact opposite. She just wished Diana wasn’t too busy for <em> her. </em></p><p>Akko’s face contorted into a small, embarrassed grimace she directed towards herself. <em> Wow, clingy much? </em></p><p>Then her body deflated and sigh left her lips. Maybe she <em> was </em> a little clingy, but she couldn’t help it. She just wanted to see Diana again and be around her and listen to her cute voice and admire how unbelievably beautiful she was and… okay, she may have been a <em> little </em> clingy but she was definitely a <em> whole lot </em> gay. Maybe it was time she did something about that.</p><p>After all, the more time passed, the more utterly hopeless she seemed to become. And frankly, she liked to think she had a bit more dignity than being the kind of hopeless gay she always saw people meme about. Even if she did occasionally do things like stare at her phone for three days straight, trying to manifest the courage for a phone call… </p><p>Heat traveled to Akko’s face. She refused to be a meme. </p><p>Okay, then screw it. She could do this! She had courage! She wasn’t going to wait around any longer! So with a determined <em> hmph, </em>Akko pulled herself into a sitting position and removed her phone from her pocket for the first time since she had put it away. </p><p>She saw there were a few notifications she had missed. A text from Jasminka saying she heard from Amanda that Akko had finally gotten around to practicing and to send her any questions if she needed help. Akko tried not to feel too embarrassed at just how many questions she’d have to ask because her biscuits so far were intent on making a fool out of her.</p><p>She took a quick second to reply to Jasminka’s message, being sure to thank her profusely for all she was doing to help and assuring her that she was going to try as hard as she could to nail her recipe. She then skimmed her other notifications, which were just Sucy replying “nice” to a picture of a mushroom Akko had sent her and an email from AO3—wait, was that a chapter update? No, no, she couldn’t get distracted. With her phone in hand, there was one thing she knew she had to do and she didn’t want to back down from it yet again.</p><p>Three days of pining were more than enough and she couldn’t go on like this for another minute. She went into her contacts and scrolled until she found the name she was looking for. She clicked on it and, for the hundredth time that week, lifted her finger up to hover over the <em> call </em> button. She hesitated and, for the hundredth time that week, felt nerves twist in her stomach. </p><p>“Come on, Akko,” she grumbled. “You can do this. It’s just one measly phone call with… the prettiest girl you have ever seen in your life.” That knowledge alone made her nerves spike but she shook herself out of it before she could lose her momentum. “A-and the fact that you even have her number is nothing short of a miracle, so don’t you dare let it go to waste!” There, that was the motivation she needed. Now all she had to do was press the button… press the button… </p><p>The button…</p><p>She gritted her teeth. <em> Why </em> was she not pressing the button, what was so hard about pressing a button! </p><p>Akko let out a drawn out groan, shaking her phone back and forth in frustration. In her moment of letting off steam, she failed to think of the consequences of this action. Like the fact that her hands were still a bit damp from washing all the baking residue off, because she hadn’t bothered drying them properly. And that a phone being shaken in the hands of someone with slippery fingers could only mean one thing. </p><p>Her phone slid out of her grip. Akko’s heart leapt out of her chest. </p><p>Instantly, she shot forward, fumbling to catch it before it landed on her hardwood floor. She had already broken it just last month in a similar fashion and she definitely didn’t want to spend more money getting it repaired. She would have to take Lotte’s advice and just get a case already because she was too clumsy to keep surviving without one. </p><p>She breathed a sigh of relief once she had the phone safely back in her grasp. She leaned back into the couch and casually glanced down at her screen. Ah, she must have accidentally hit the call button at some point while she was fumbling to grab her phone because it currently said she was calling—</p><p>Akko shot forward once again with her eyes so wide, they could have fallen right out her skull. She was currently calling…</p><p>“Oh nononono. <em> Fuck</em>!” she shrieked, panic seizing every muscle in her body. There was only one thing that could make this worse.</p><p>“Excuse me?” A muffled voice came in through the speaker. Diana had already answered the call. “Akko?”</p><p>All the color drained from Akko’s face. Maybe she didn’t have to keep practicing her biscuits after all because she was surely going to <em> die </em> before she ever made it back into that tent.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Akko: I refuse to be a meme<br/>the universe: your entire existence is a meme</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Surprise Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Back with chapter 4! Didn't wanna make yall wait to long for an update again lol, I hope you all enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Akko?” </p><p>Hearing Diana repeat her name, Akko became increasingly aware that she had yet to say anything in response to the girl she had accidentally called and presumably startled with her loud exclamation and specific choice of words<em> . </em> And okay, she would definitely have to do some explaining for that. But first, she actually had to remember how to <em> speak. </em></p><p>In a shaky hand, she brought her cellphone up to her ear. Her mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water as she begged her brain to force words out of it. </p><p>“U-um… I, um…” she squeaked. Her face proceeded to burn so much, she was sure she would burst into flames any second. </p><p>Alright. Time to try that again.</p><p>She took a breath to steady herself, doing her best to calm the rapid beating of her heart and meagerly said, “H-hi, Diana.”</p><p>There! She got two full words out, that was something!</p><p>There was a brief silence as Diana let the moment settle before she replied. “Yes, hello Akko. I must say, I wasn’t expecting you to call. And I certainly wasn’t expecting… a greeting such as that,” she lightly chuckled. And though Akko was still so humiliated at the events that had just taken place, there was something about Diana’s laugh that managed to lift her spirits just enough.</p><p>“Ah, yeaaah, I should probably apologize for that,” she said, feeling the power to speak slowly return to her. “I was just kinda being an idiot and didn’t mean to call you so… I panicked, heh.”</p><p>“Oh,” Diana said after a beat and Akko frowned at the way her tone fell. “I see, it was just an accident then.”</p><p>Realizing her error, Akko nearly slapped a palm against her forehead. “No! I mean, yeah it was an accident that I called you when I did, but I had been planning on it anyway! It just happened a bit sooner, that’s all.”</p><p>The line was quiet for a moment as Diana registered her words. She regarded them with a faint hum. “Is that so?”</p><p>Akko nodded before realizing Diana couldn’t see her. “Yeah, of course.”</p><p>“Well then,” Diana said, her tone just a bit brighter, “I’m very glad to hear that.”</p><p>Akko perked up. “Really?”</p><p>“Indeed. It’s nice to hear you had been planning to call me. I may have wondered once or twice if you would. And truth be told, I was thinking of calling you soon as well,” Diana admitted, much to Akko’s delight. Forgetting all about her previous embarrassment, a smile lit up her face and her leg began to bounce as she was overcome with joy from that sentiment.</p><p>Diana had wanted to call her! Diana, a pretty girl, calling her! She <em> absolutely </em> loved to see it.</p><p>“I do apologize for not getting in touch these past few days,” Diana continued, “I didn’t want to be a bother.”</p><p>Akko almost scoffed into her phone, taken aback by the notion that Diana could ever think she’d be a bother to her. “Don’t worry about that, you can call me anytime!” she assured. “And, uh… I’m also sorry it took me so long to contact you, I was um…” </p><p>Busy? That wasn’t true. Three days she spent doing absolutely nothing other than plaguing over how to prepare for this exact moment. And she certainly couldn’t admit how nervous she had been when the cause of her nervousness was right on the other end of the line waiting for her to finish speaking. So she simply settled for, “I was just… occupied, aha. But I’m free now and I hope this isn’t a bad time.”</p><p>“Not at all. It’s a wonderful time, actually,” Diana’s voice came in through her speaker in such a way that made Akko feel like she could see the smile forming on her face as she spoke. Her heart fluttered in her chest.</p><p>“Oh! Well, that’s good. I didn’t want to distract you from anything, so… that’s good.” Akko cringed internally. Her vocabulary wasn’t <em> that </em>limited, why’d she have to repeat the same thing twice?</p><p>But her thoughts were interrupted by another chuckle from Diana. “Yes, it is quite <em> good</em>. I’ve been up to my neck in biscuits all week and for the sake of my sanity, I’ve decided to take a break for the time being. A distraction is something I’d actually be grateful for… provided you were offering one.”</p><p>Warmth settled underneath Akko’s face because there had been <em> something </em> in Diana’s tone as she said those words that, perhaps, Akko was misinterpreting because she was just very gay. Or maybe it was <em> because </em> she was very gay that she interpreted those words perfectly, because she knew a challenge when she heard one. And Diana saying she’d like a distraction <em> provided Akko was offering one </em> sounded precisely like it.</p><p>“Well, um,” Akko swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, “I guess I am pretty good at being distracting. Did you have something particular in mind?”</p><p>Diana let out another hum that flowed directly into Akko’s ear and down her spine as she considered the question.</p><p>“Surprise me,” she answered, and Akko no longer had a doubt in mind that she <em>was, </em>in fact, being challenged. And unlike the stressful challenges of the bake off, a twinge of excitement bubbled in the pit of her stomach at the prospect of this one because she could do surprises well. And when there was a pretty girl at stake, humble pie be damned, she could do them <em>extraordinarily </em>well. </p><p>“Alright then,” she said, a grin forming on her face. At some point she had risen from her couch because a moment like this was just too good to sit through. “If you’re really not too busy, then I could arrange that surprise soon.”</p><p>“Soon?”</p><p>Akko fiddled with a loose thread hanging from her shirt. She fidgeted from one foot to the other before urging her next words out of her mouth because she refused to cower away when she had gotten this far. “Like… if you maybe wanted to… hang out. In person. Or something. Since we’re in the same town and all.”</p><p>Of course, it occurred to Akko that despite Diana being in the same town, she had no clue where she was even staying. She never even bothered to ask. And given that Blytonbury wasn’t all too big, it surprised her that they hadn’t run into each other on the street or in a shop. Then again, Diana had been busy being an actual responsible baker and practicing, while Akko hadn’t taken her eyes off her phone for three days. She doubted she would have even noticed Diana if she was right in front of her. </p><p>Okay, maybe that was a bit far-fetched. If Diana was nearby, Akko was sure her eyes would quite literally be drawn to her like a beacon. How could they not when in the vicinity of a woman who looked like<em> that</em>? </p><p>God, Akko truly missed looking at her face so much, she very nearly cried tears of joy when Diana replied, “I would like that. We could meet up somewhere?”</p><p>Resisting the urge to do a flip that no doubt would’ve landed her in the hospital, she instead chose to express her delight by pumping her fist through the air and saying, “Yeah! We could definitely do that! Wherever you’d like!”</p><p>Her enthusiasm was met with a quiet laugh from Diana’s end, but Akko didn’t even bother to stop and think of how dorky she must have sounded because she was just too thrilled. Her three long days of a Diana drought were finally coming to an end.</p><p>“Admittedly, I’m still not too familiar with the area, but I do think I recall one place that would be a good spot to meet. You’ll have to give me a moment to look up the address, though.”</p><p>Akko began to pace around her flat, the gears whirring in her brain. “Alright, cool. And I’ll think of some interesting stuff for us to do in the meantime. If you’re comfortable with following me around town, that is.” Of course she didn’t want to do anything Diana was uncomfortable with. She drank her respect women juice, after all.</p><p>“Well, I know I’ve only just met you, but you don’t exactly seem to be a dangerous person. If anything, you’re possibly just a danger to yourself,” Diana giggled, surely thinking of the many injuries Akko inflicted on herself. The joke brought a dopey smile to Akko’s face as well. “So I have to say, I don’t see a reason to be uncomfortable with it. I hope you don’t make me regret that, Atsuko Kagari.”</p><p>…Maybe Akko <em> should </em> have remained sitting down because hearing Diana say her full name like that almost made her knees give out. “I promise you I won’t,” she breathlessly replied, thanking every god she could think of that she had lived to experience this moment. </p><p>“R-right, so!” she hastily continued, getting her thoughts back on track. “When would be a good time for you? I don’t have plans anytime soon, so…” Alright, that may have been a lie. Hadn’t she just resolved herself to putting more effort into practice so she could do Jasminka’s recipe justice?</p><p>Oh, but that was <em> before </em> Diana had answered her call and turned Akko’s heart into mush. Her progress with baking was almost nonexistent, sure, but her progress with Diana was damn near astronomical. Jasminka would understand if she took a <em> little </em>more time to herself to indulge her very weak, very gay heart, right? </p><p>“Would sometime in the next hour or so suffice?” Diana asked, much to Akko’s thrill. Then almost nervously, she added, “Forgive me if that’s too short notice—”</p><p>“Nonono, it’s fine!” It was <em> perfect. </em>“One hour. Great,” Akko beamed, her cheeks beginning to hurt from how much she was smiling. “I can think of something fun for us to do by then. Just let me know where we’re meeting up and I’ll see you there!”</p><p>“I’ll be sure to do that. Oh, and Akko,” she hurriedly added, before her voice slipped back into that gentle tone that sounded the way a smile felt, “I am… really looking forward to it.”</p><p>Akko’s hearts did somersaults in her chest. It was astounding just how quickly she could go from feeling like the unluckiest person in the world to swearing the stars had aligned for her.</p><p>Only a few minutes ago she thought she was so pathetic for not being able to talk to Diana and now she was seeing her in just one hour! The universe may have loved to toy with her, but when it was kind, it was <em> kind. </em></p><p>“Me too,” she said. “Definitely looking forward to it. Super looking forward to it. A lot. Like <em> a lot.</em>” Oh boy, should she stop talking? She should probably stop talking. But just then Diana’s incredible laugh filled her ears and if Akko saying dorky things was the cause of that, maybe it would actually do her well to keep talking.</p><p>“Well if that’s all settled, I suppose I should begin getting ready,” Diana said once her laughter subsided. “I smell too much like biscuits so I could use a shower.”</p><p>“Oh yeah, me too,” Akko realized, lifting her shirt collar to give it a sniff. She should probably wash the bits of dough she was sure were stuck in her hair out as well. “Okay then, so… I guess we should go?” She tried not to sound disappointed because she would see Diana in no time, but she’d be lying if she said she wanted this moment to end. </p><p>“I suppose so,” Diana agreed. “Goodbye, Akko. I’ll see you soon.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Akko’s heart did a little flutter, “soon.”</p><p>Silence lingered between them as neither of them seemed to want to be the first to hang up. Then Akko’s phone beeped as the call finally came to an end. She double checked to make sure Diana was indeed no longer on the other line (after her slip up in the beginning, she <em> had </em>to be sure). Then, after a tumultuous battle of will, her knees finally began to give out.</p><p>She quickly wobbled back to the couch so she would have something soft to land on and once she felt the cushion underneath her, she dropped her phone onto it and curled into herself, burying her face in her hands. A loud squeal left her lips that she wouldn’t have been able to keep in, even if she tried. Unable to keep still, her legs rapidly bounced up and down, like she was running in place. Her feet pounded against the floor, something her downstairs neighbors would <em> not </em>be happy about, but what did she care? </p><p>She was <em> ecstatic, </em>on top of the world, and literally every other corny thing that could be said about happiness applied to her in that very moment. She allowed herself a few more moments of celebratory wiggling before she pushed herself off the couch, successfully fired up. </p><p>She had to shower. She had to make herself look cute. She had to give Diana the best afternoon she could think of, and do it without fail. It may have been a rough few days, but she was <em> still </em>winning, and she wasn’t going to let anything screw this up.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>As impatient as she was, Akko couldn’t have been more grateful that the next hour passed by as quickly as it did. She wasted no time in getting cleaned up, though in her excitement, she couldn’t resist speeding through her shower. She got dressed, putting on a red sleeveless shirt and denim shorts. Perfect outfit for summer, and a perfect outfit for showing off some skin if she shamelessly said so herself.</p><p>Luckily during her shower, Diana had texted her the address for their meetup spot, so she didn’t have to wait around once she was ready and wasted no time before bolting from her flat. The address Diana had sent her was for a place nearby (which hopefully meant she also stayed nearby!!!). She easily recognized the street name, though for a reason she couldn’t quite put a finger on, something about it seemed more familiar than just its name. </p><p>Nevermind that though, it was the last thing on her mind as she raced down the sidewalk, dodging stray pedestrians who dared be in her way. When she was just one turn away from the correct street, she came to a stop to catch her breath. Ironically, she was positive her rapid heartbeat had less to do with the fact she had practically ran there and more to do with the girl she was about to see.</p><p>In between breaths, her face lit up with a smile. She was really about to spend time with Diana and it made her so giddy, she almost did a little dance in the street for everyone to see.</p><p>But instead, she straightened up, ran a hand through her windswept hair, and carried herself onward, rounding the final corner to reach her destination.</p><p>And then she froze. </p><p>Full on, stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, <em> froze. </em></p><p>It suddenly hit her why the address had sounded so familiar to her before. Because the very building she was supposed to be meeting Diana in, the building she was staring down right now, was a café. One she had only been to a few times, but been to nonetheless. Because it was where her<em> friends </em> occasionally hung out.</p><p>And as Akko felt her joy slowly being replaced by dread, all she could do was hope that her dear, lovable, <em> infuriating </em> friends were anywhere else but there, of all days, to embarrass her in front of the last person they ever needed to meet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>oh boy, wonder what could come of this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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